Resumption – Lake Michigan Schooner Shipwreck (1914)

Explore the wreck of the Resumption, a wooden schooner-barge lost in a storm in 1914, off Plum Island in Lake Michigan.

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

  • Name: Resumption
  • Type: Wooden three-masted schooner-barge
  • Year Built: 1879
  • Builder: Wolf & Davidson, Milwaukee, WI
  • Dimensions: 143 × 29 × 10 ft (43.6 × 8.8 × 3.0 m)
  • Registered Tonnage: ~294 GRT / 279 NRT
  • Location: Off Plum Island, Death's Door Passage, Lake Michigan (Wisconsin coast)
  • Coordinates: Unknown (unconfirmed location)
  • Official Number: 110384
  • Original Owners: Edward Hines Lumber Company
  • Number of Masts: Three

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

The Resumption was a large wooden schooner-barge employed in Great Lakes timber transit. Built to be towed behind steam tugs, she represented the industrial workhorses of late 19th-century commerce, balancing large cargo capacity with efficient rigging.

Description

The Resumption was a large wooden schooner-barge employed in Great Lakes timber transit. Built to be towed behind steam tugs, she represented the industrial workhorses of late 19th-century commerce, balancing large cargo capacity with efficient rigging.

History

Constructed in 1879 by Wolf & Davidson in Milwaukee, Resumption operated primarily in the lumber trade. She hauled sawn and pulped timber from Wisconsin and Michigan ports to processing hubs such as Chicago. Her final operator, the Edward Hines Lumber Company, utilized her for bulk shipments across Lake Michigan. On 7 November 1914, during a fierce autumn storm, she struck bottom near Plum Island and began breaking up. Despite coordinated tug efforts, she could not be saved.

Significant Incidents

  • The vessel was ultimately pounded to pieces by wave action after grounding. Multiple steam tugs attempted recovery, but the wreck disintegrated rapidly. No confirmed salvage record exists.

Final Disposition

The vessel was ultimately pounded to pieces by wave action after grounding. Multiple steam tugs attempted recovery, but the wreck disintegrated rapidly. No confirmed salvage record exists.

Current Condition & Accessibility

The wreck of Resumption has never been positively located. No GPS coordinates or sonar mappings are published. The wreck is presumed in open water shoals prone to strong surge and unpredictable currents.

Resources & Links

[shotline_reference_links slug=”resumption-us-110384″ title=”References & Links”]

All crew survived the incident. Crew list not recovered in available sources. Further research via regional newspapers is recommended.

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